macchesney



March 28, 1933.

c. M. MaccHl-:sNEY 1,902,966

IETHOD OF IAKING EXPANDEDMETAL FENCESy Filed Aug. '7. 1929 4 sheets-sheet 2.

March 28, 1933- CL M.V MaccHEsNEY 1,902,966 IETHOD OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL FENCES Filed Aug. 7, 1929 4 Sl'leelZS-SheeiI 3 March 28, 1933. c. M. MacCHEsNr-:Y 1,902,966 v HETHOD OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL FENCES K 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 7, 1929 fo wey wf PatentedMar. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER 'H. MACCHESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOR TO ACME STEEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A,COBPORATION OF ILLINOIS` METHOD voi imma Exrmnn 'METALfrmro-.m

v Application led August 7, l1929. Serial No. 384,225.

` This invention relates to improvements in fences and 1ts purpose is to provide a novel `method of slitting and'expanding a sheet of metall to form fencing. Heretofore, thin metal sheets have been provided withllongitudinal slits and then expanded by stretching them edgewise to form a reticulatedl metal: sheet adapted for use as metal lath and the like but these expanded sheets have not been adapted for use as fencing and/no method has been known for expanding a metal sheet in a manner adapted to produce a reticulated metal sheet suitable for fencing purposes. The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved method of expanding a metal sheet-to form a reticulated sheet suitable forfencing. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming an expanded metal fence having meshes which are relatively small along the lower edge of the fence and which increase progressively in'size toward the top edge thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming an expanded metal fence having upper and lower edges extending parallel to each other and devoid of irregularities due to the operation of expanding the metal from which the fencing is formed. Still another object ofthe invention is to provide an improved method of expanding a metal sheet in order to produce a perforated member adapted forfencing purposes and having meshes of varying size formed by the operation of expanding the metal sheet. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming expanded metal fencing comprising novel means for compensating for irregularities in the structure of the expanded sheet produced by the operation of expanding a metal sheet having slits therein of varying length. Other objects relate to improved method are explained in-connection with one embodiment, and a modification, of the improved metal fencing. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows atop plan view of a portion 55 of an elongated strip or 'sheet of metal which l is .provided With a plurality of series of 1ongitudinal slits preliminary to being expanded transversely to the length of the slits;

. Fig. 2 isl a somewhat diagrammatic plan 4view of a portion ofthe expanded metal sheet. produced by stretching edgewise the slitted lstrip or sheet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged elevation or plan view of a portion of the expanded sheet illustrated in Fig. 2, showing the progressive va-` riation in the sizes of the meshes of the expanded. sheet from one edge thereof toward the other; v

' Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 7 4-4 of Fig. 3; l

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view or elevationl of a portion of the expanded sheet shown in Figs. 2 and 3 after the walls or bars of the meshes which extend parallel to the edges of the sheet have been shortened by twisting in order to compensate ,for the curvature of the sheet whenl intially expanded as shown in Fig. 2; and

similar to that of Fig. 5, showing the horizontal bars or walls of the -meshes as havin been shortened by corrugating them instea of by twisting as 1n the form shown in Fig. 5. In the practice of the present invention, an elongated steel strip vor sheet 10, of such gauge or thickness as will produce the desired stiffness in the resulting fencing, is first pro-V vided, by a shearing actlon or otherwise, with a plurality of series of lon itudinal slits 11 which extend` parallel to t e edges of the strip and parallel to each other throughout the length of the stripor sheet. The sllts 11' of one series 11 overlap the ends of the slits of thenext adjacent series of slits 11 in av zone 12 and the slits of one series are staggered; transversely of the sheet, with respect to the slits of the next adjacent series so that the slits are relatively closed to each other in the overlapping zone 12 and are theresepa- .100

rated by relatively narrow bars ormetal ele- "take place progressively so that the zones 14 between the ends of thev slits of alternate series have a shape like that of a cross-section of a truncated cene, and the zones 13 in which the slits 11 overlap increase progressively in width from the bottom of the sheet upwardly, giving them a form like that of a cross-section of an inverted truncated cone. As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, the slits 11 of one series areinxlongitudinal alignment with the slits of alternate series throughout the length of the sheet. These slits extend completely through the sheet or strip 10 and they furnish means by which the sheet may be permitted to expand transversely for the purpose of forming a'porous or reticulated member suitable for fencing purposes.

The next step in the operationbf forming A the expanded lmetal fence isto apply pressure ,to the sheet 10 for the purpose of expanding it laterally in a direction transverse to the length of the slits 11. rlhi's may be done by any suitable means known in the art and it results in the formation of a reticulated metal sheet 16 having the form'shown in Fig. 2, wherein the walls or bars separating the adjacent meshes are, for the sake of clearness, shown diagrammatically as single lines. rllhese meshes 17 which are formed in the expanded sheet 16 are substantially diamondshaped in forml except that the upper and lower apices of the meshes are substantially flat instead of being pointed. rlhe converging walls of each mesh 17 are formed by the bars or elements 13 of the sheet 10 which are formed by the overlapping of the slits 11 of adjacent'series and at the upper and lower corners or apices of each mesh, these diagonal walls or hars 13 are united with eachother,

and with similar diagonal walls of adjacent meshes, by the connecting bars 15 formed by those portions of the slits 11 which lie in the zones 14. Since the slits 11 vary in length from one'edge of the sheet 10 to the other, the result of the expansion is to form meshes 17 which increase progressively in area from the bottom of the expanded sheet 16 to the top thereof, while at the same time the bars 15 which connect adjacent meshes longitudinally of the sheet decrease in length progressively from the bottom of the expanded sheet upwardly; The longitudinal bars or metal elements 15UL which extend along the extreme upper and lower edges of the sheet 10,do not tend to partake .of the regular formation or angularity whichis assumed by the bars or elements 13 when the sheet is expanded, so that these'elernents are ordinarilybowed upwardly and downwardly along the ed e of the expanded sheet, asshown in Fig'.l 2, ormj ing a plurality of irregular convolutions 18.

By reason of the fact that the slits 11 increase in length progressively toward the topfedge of the sheet 10, the expansion of this sheet by exerting tension thereon transversely, results in a greater contraction of the sheet longitudinally along its upper edge thanl takes place v along its lower edge and this variation in the-l extent of the contraction makes itself apparent in a progressive manner from one longi tudin'al edge of the sheet to the other sothat the expanded sheet 16 4has a longitudinal curvature in its own plane and the lower edge 16 andthe upper edge 16h thereof are curved, with all intermediate portions assuming a corresponding curvature of varying degree.

While it is important in the manufacture of fencing to provide meshes which are of relatively small size along the lower edge of the fence, for the purpose of confining relatively small animals, -poultryand the like, and to provide relatively large meshes in the upper part of the fence, the expanded sheet 16 shown in Fig. 2, while embodying these advantages so far as the relative sizes of4 the meshes are concerned, is not well adapted for fencing purposes *becausev of. its curvature, and the nextistep in the improved method of forming the fence consists in treating the expanded sheet 16 tovcompensate for the curvature-resulting from the variation of the sizes of the meshes in order that the upper and lower edges of the fence will extend hc rizontally and parallel to each other. This is accomplished by operating upon `the connecting bars or elements 15 in order to shorten them progressively from the top edge of the fence downwardly, the ratio of the increase of this contraction being proportional to the divergence of the zones 14, shown in Fig. 3, which mark the boundaries of the ends of the ele.- ments 15 which extend lengthwise of the ein panded sheet. According to the preferred method, this contraction of the bars or elements 15 lwhich form ,the longitudinal and substantially parallel walls of the meshes 17.

llO

'is eifected by twisting these bars or elements i allel to the similar aligning elements along .give it additional resistance final form of expanded sheet 20 is obtained which consists in wherein the upper and lowery edges of the bath whereby there is deposited upon the exsheet extend horizontally and parallel to each panded ,sheet a galvanizing or other protecother while the ends of the sheet are likewise tive coating which protects it against rust.

paralled but vertical. In conjunction with Although certain examples of the improved the feature of contracting the bars or elemethod'a-ndtwo embodiments ofthe improved v fence produced by that method have been explamed 1n connection with the accompanypassing it through a suitable Y of the expanded sheet 16 are similarly coning drawings by way of illustration, it will tracted by twisting operations to form twisted elements 15 which align with each other along each edge of the fence and extend parbe understood that the method may be practiced in various ways and that the improved fence maybe constructed in various Within the scope ofthe appended claims. I claim:

the opposite -edge of the fence. B this y 1. The methodof means, the curvaturey due to expansion is forming expanded metal forms compensated for so that the resulting. exfencing'which comprises the operations of panded metal sheet 20 has the desired variaproviding a metal sheet with a plurality of tion the sizes'o the meshes in combinathe other edge thereof, and then expanding the metal sheet transversely to the sits.

the various meshes 17. 2. The method of forming expanded metal Another method of contracting the sheet fencin which comprises the operations of thereto by expansion of the slitted sheet, is gitudinai slits decreasing inlength progresillustrated in Fig. 6, where the final form sively from one edge of the sheet toward the of the expanded sheet 21 is shown as having other, and then expanding the metal sheet been produced from the form shown in Figs. transversely to the slits.

2 and 3 by corrugating the elements 15 to 3. The method of forming expanded metal form a series of bars l5d which are corrugated fencing which consists in providing a metal transversely and thereby shortened longiudisheet with a plurality of overlapping series of -nally of the sheet. The number of corrugaparallel slits, having the slits of each series tions in the bars or elements 15d increases increasing progressively in length from one from the top edge of the sheet downwardly edge of the sheet toward the other, and then with the result that the extent of contraction expanding said sheet transversely to the increases progressively toward the lower edge legnth of the slits. of the expanded sheet. In a similar way, the 4. The method of forming expanded metal curved convolutions formed by the elements fencing which comprises the operations of which are bowed outwardly along the upper providing a vmetal sheet with a plurality of and lower 'edges of the sheet, as shown in Fig. series of longitudinal parallel slits, having the 2, are contracted by corrugating operations slits of each series increasing in length proto form horizontally corrugated elements 15".V gressively from one edge of the sheet toalong the upper and lower edges of the exwards the other and having the ends of the panded sheet, as shown in Fig. 6. slits of each series overlapping-the ends of adjacent series, and then by the novel method of the present IIVBIIOD. expanding the sheet transversely tothe length has the advantage that it may be formed at of the slits. relatively small cost fromsheet steel or .the 5, The method 0f forming expanded metal 11k@ havlng great Strength and the resultmg fencing which comprises the operations of product is 'an intgeral construction in which 'd' t uh t 'th 1 Ht all of the elements of the reticulated fence are Spelgg; lflglgujliral thnpelangiggf united by ntegraljoints The twisting or the metal sheet transversely to the slits tol corrugating operations wh1ch are employed form an expanded-sheet having a plurality to compensate for the longitudinal curvature x q of meshes therein and then contracting the in the plane of the sheet wnich is normally Walls of certain O Said meshes.

roducedb theo eration of ex ansion when tphe slits va'iy in length from oiie edge bf the 621%@ mthod of fqrmlng eXpanefmetal sheet to the other, serve not only. to produce fanolug Whlch compnses the Operations of the desired parallel. arrangement of the meshes and of the upper and lower edges of Sel'les O longitudinal 5115s, then @XPaldlng the sheet, but also to strengthen the sheet and the metal Sheet transversely t0 the Shts t0 to transverse form an expanded sheet lhaving a plurality bending. After the expanded metal sheet has of meshes therein, and then contracting the been formed as shown in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6, it walls of certain of said meshes along the is preferably subjected to a final operation edges of the expanded sheet to form longito compensate for the curvature imparted providing a metal sheet with a series of lonlongitudinal slits, the slits adjacent one edge providing a metal steel with a plurality of tudinal edges on said sheet extending parallelto each other. a

7 The method of forming expanded metal fencing which consists in providing a metal i sheet with a plurality of transverse series of longitudinal parallel slits increasing in length progressively from one edge of the sheet I toward the other and having theends of the.

slits of each series overlapping the ends of v 10 the slits of the next adjacent series, the extent of overlap increasing progressively from one edge of the sheet toward the other, then expanding said sheet transversely to the length of the slits ,to form a plurality of mes es l5 increasing in area from one side of the ex panded Asheet toward the other, and then contracting those walls of the meshes which extend longitudinally of the expanded sheet. 8. The method of forming expanded metal fencing which consists in providing a metal sheet vvith a plurality of transverse series oi f longitudinal parallel slits increasing in length progressively from `one edge of the sheet toward the other and havingthe ends of the slits of each series overlapping the ends oit the slits of the next adjacent series, the extent of overlap increasing progressively from one edge of the sheet toward the other, then expanding said vsheet transversely to the length. of the slits to 'torni a plurality oil meshes increasing in area from one side o* the expanded sheet toward the other, and then contracting to a progressively decreesr ving extent 'troni said tiret-mentioned edge ot said sheet toward the other edge those walls of said meshes which extend substantially parallel tothe longitudinal edges of the sheet 9. The method of forminexpanded instel fencing which comprises t e operations et i0 providin a metal sheet `with a plurality ot longitudinal slits, the slits adj acent one longin tudinal edge of each sheet heing longer than those adjacent the other longitudinal edge thereof, then expanding the metal sheet t5 transversely to the slits vto form meshes, and then contracting those `Walls of the meshes vhich extend longitudinally of the expanded s cet, 1

ln testimony whereof, l have subscribed my naine.

` CHESTER M. hfleoCl-ESNEY.

CERTIFICATE OI" CORRECTION.

Panni No. 1,902,966. I f/ March 2s, 193s.

CHESTER M. MacCHESNEY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the orinted specification ofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 101,v` claim i 3, for "legnth" read "1ength"; and line 124, claim 6, for "steel" read "sheet";

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this'lth day of May. A. D. 1933.

. y v M.l J. Moore.V (Seal) l Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

